Boulder County Sheriff's officers, Geno Martinez, left, and Rik Hendrikson, stand watch on a quiet University of Colorado campus on during 4/20 in 2013. (Cliff Grassmick, Daily Camera file)

No 4/20 smokeout at CU-Boulder: campus closing

For the third year in a row, the University of Colorado plans to close its Boulder campus on April 20 to curtail an “unwanted 4/20 gathering,” according to a statement released Friday morning by Chancellor Phil DiStefano.

In recent years, campus officials have been trying to extinguish the annual pot smokeout, which at its height drew some 10,000 tokers to Norlin Quadrangle, by closing the campus to outsiders, spreading fishy smelling fertilizer on the quad and enforcing marijuana laws.

From noon to 6 p.m. on April 20, CU faculty, students and staff are required to show their Buff OneCards, or CU identification cards, to enter the campus, DiStefano wrote.

Visitors with official business are required to obtain a visitor’s pass to enter the campus.


Coverage of all things 4/20


This is the first 4/20 after recreational marijuana became legal in Colorado on Jan. 1. However, campus officials note that consuming marijuana in public or by people who are under 21 is still illegal. Smoking is banned on the Boulder campus.

After closing the campus on 4/20 in 2013, the CU administration appeared to have succeeded in snuffing out the gathering, as Norlin Quad was quiet.

In his letter, DiStefano defended the decision to close the campus yet again to reinforce the university’s commitment to curbing the 4/20 gathering.


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“You may ask why this move is necessary after two successful years of curtailing the large 4/20 crowd,” DiStefano wrote. “It is imperative that the public knows we are serious about eliminating this disruptive gathering. I hope at some point in the near-future that campus closures will not be necessary, and we can go about daily business on campus as we normally do.”

Last month, CU student government leaders described plans to hold a marijuana conference or symposium later this spring to “repurpose” 4/20.

This story was first published on DailyCamera.com